Black And Brown
Xzibit feat. Jelly Roll Lyrics

Wassup? We need to talk
Let's have a conversation about something important.

Let me light my backport
I'm going to smoke a cigarette.

That's why we need to sit down
We should have a serious conversation about this.

And talk about the black and the brown
We need to discuss the tension between black and Hispanic communities.

Yo, I love Los Angeles, you can hear it in my music
I have a deep appreciation for LA that I express through my music.

Plus I got the scars to prove it
I have experienced intense violence and danger in LA.

And man.. you don't understand what I understand
I have unique experiences and knowledge about this issue.

I'm feelin like a piece to a bigger plan
I believe that I have a role to play in addressing this problem.

'Cause all I'm sayin is the God honest truth of it all, we fightin the wrong enemy
The real problem isn't the conflict between black and Hispanic communities, but a larger societal issue.

That's why I'm gettin invovled, it's just like the end of that movie 'Saw'
I am taking action to address the issue, similar to how the characters in 'Saw' worked to solve their problems.

When them two chained up guys met with their demise
The characters in 'Saw' faced serious consequences for their actions.

And the mastermind was layin there the whole time
The person responsible for the issues was present all along.

Remember that? That's why we have to sit down
Let's have a conversation about how to address this issue.

Now I didn't come here to point no fingers
I'm not blaming anyone for the situation, but we need to find a solution.

I know over the years that the pain still lingers over past confrontations
Past conflicts and violence continue to impact communities.

And everybody lose.. from the pen, to the neighborhoods, now it's even the high schools
The impact of these conflicts reaches beyond individual communities, affecting many aspects of society.

'Cause I was watchin K. Cal News
I was watching the news and saw a story that illustrates this problem.

when the students squared off and one kid wouldn't choose sides
There was a conflict between students that demonstrated the tension between communities.

Hit with a hammer and the kid died and now it's a full blown riot
The situation escalated and resulted in a serious incident.

Tck, that's when the fists start flyin
Violence and conflict erupted in response to the incident.

These kids ain't learnin shit about math and science
The focus on conflict and violence is detracting from students' education.

Tension is so thick, some are comin around
Many people are recognizing the seriousness of the problem and the need for a solution.

I don't wanna see no more of us up under the ground
I don't want to see any more violence or deaths.

Eighty percent of inmates are black and Hispanic
There are significant disparities in the criminal justice system affecting these communities.

They tryna wipe us all off the face of this planet
There are systems trying to eliminate or erase these communities.

Dammit.. that's why we need to sit down
We must discuss these systemic issues and work towards solutions.

Yo, I got the homey Jose from way back in the day
I have a friend, Jose, from a long time ago.

He came to scoop me up in his all white Six-Trey
He picked me up in his car.

And he don't really fuck with nobody outside of the set
He primarily associates with people from his own community.

It's tatted big on his neck
He has a tattoo that represents his community on his neck.

Y'know? So over the years, built respect and trust
Despite our different backgrounds, Jose and I have developed a strong relationship based on mutual respect.

Some black and brown issues we both discussed
We have talked about the challenges facing our respective communities.

He said, 'Homes, it's been goin down too long
Jose believes that the conflict between communities has gone on for too long.

I gotta bang on them fools and it don't feel wrong'
He is considering violent action against those he believes are responsible for the conflict.

'They killed my cousin over eighty eight bricks
His desire for revenge is driven by personal experience and loss.

So word came down, we gotta handle that shit'
His community is responding to the situation with violence.

'Kill all mayatas in white tee shirts
He is advocating for violence against those he sees as responsible for the conflict.

Can I tell the truth homes? The truth starts hurtin'
The truth about the conflict is painful to confront.

At first, I remind him of what vengeance do
I try to reason with him about the consequences of violent actions.

What vengeance is and who vengeance belongs to
I suggest that taking revenge only causes more pain and suffering.

He wasn't tryna hear that shit
He was not receptive to this message.

He just turned up the volume, bangin 50 Cent
He chose to ignore our conversation and listen to music.

I got soldiers from both sides who really don't care
I know people on both sides of the conflict who are not interested in peace.

Who identify themselves by the colors they wear
Some people's identities are defined by the colors associated with their communities.

The homey came through to put one in the air
One of my friends came with a gun.

He said, 'X, man I'm just gettin out
He recently got out of prison.

from doin eighty eight months, tryna figure things out'
He is trying to adjust to life outside of prison.

He told me in the pen you get down to get done
Prison culture requires violence and conflict for survival.

'Cause the brown and black ratio is five to one
There are significantly more black inmates than Hispanic inmates.

He showed me the scar on his gut and his neck
He has suffered serious injuries as a result of the conflict.

They got him good, said he damn near bled to death
He narrowly survived a violent attack.

The hate was do deep, I can see in his eyes
The depth of animosity between communities is evident in his demeanor.

When he described what it feels like to almost die
The violence and danger of the conflict is illustrated in his story.

All I could do was just sit back and listen
I realized that I could not convince him to abandon violence, but can be a supportive listener.

'Bout how he 'bout to send soldiers on missions
He is planning to engage in violent retaliation.

I got hit with a bottle but I'm not dead
I have experienced violence due to the conflict.

I said, 'Think with your heart homey, not your head'
I suggest that he consider the emotional consequences of violence, not just the logic of retaliation.

Oooooh you must defend yourself (Yeah!)
It is necessary to protect yourself.

If you don't, then no one else (Nobody!)
No one else will protect you.

Your homies got to ride (Let's go!)
Your friends must support you and take action.

You're fighting for your life (Yeah!)
The conflict is a matter of life and death.

They want both of us dead
There are people who are willing to use violence to eliminate both black and Hispanic communities.

You ain't heard a word I said
He is not listening to my advice against violence.

Your homies got to riiide
Your friends must take action with you.